Medical Support Assistant

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Office supplies

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a Medical Support Assistant to support patient care administration, scheduling, and front-line data integrity. The role involves processing patient demographics, coordinating appointments, and ensuring compliant, high-quality service across the care team.

Experience with medical terminology, scheduling systems, and strong customer-service skills are essential. The position operates Monday through Friday with standard daytime hours and on-site work.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients
• Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care
• Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and health care team members
• Ability to operate computerized programs and systems to enter, modify, and retrieve patient information and schedules

Responsibilities

• Ensure correct identification of all patients using two forms of identification
• Facilitate and support data integrity initiatives at the front line
• Assist patients, family members, and multidisciplinary staff, maintaining unit flow
• Provide prompt, friendly, and cooperative customer and patient services
• Answer and route phone calls courteously and timely
• Schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting
• Enter work orders and follow up with Nurse Manager regarding delays
• Aid in Telehealth and other electronic health services
• Maintain and order clerical supplies
• Manage patient processing and demographics updates

Skills

Medical terminology

Customer service

Communication

Office software

Scheduling software

Education

High school diploma / GED

Tools

Computer systems

Scheduling programs

Faxing software

Job description

Summary

The Medical Support Assistant's (MSA) work impacts the administrative aspect of patient care - including access - scheduling/coordinating appointments - collecting and updating demographic - patient processing and customer service. The MSA is responsible for assuring that various aspects of compliance - reporting and quality assurance are met.

Summary

The Medical Support Assistant's (MSA) work impacts the administrative aspect of patient care - including access - scheduling/coordinating appointments - collecting and updating demographic - patient processing and customer service. The MSA is responsible for assuring that various aspects of compliance - reporting and quality assurance are met.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/20/2026. Medical Support Assistant

Basic Requirements

• Citizenship: Citizen of the United States
• (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance to 38 U.S.C.
• 7407(a)
• Experience and Education: Experience: None
• OR Education: High school diploma - General Education Development equivalency certificate - or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education
• Licensure/Certification/Registration: None
• Foreign Education: To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C.
• 7403(f)
• Foreign Education
• To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs
• Grade Determinations: Creditable Experience: To be creditable - the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge - skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting
• Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting
• Part-Time Experience: Part-time experience as an MSA or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting is creditable according to its relationship for the full-time workweek
• For example - an MSA employed 20 hours a week - or on a 1/2-time basis - would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service
• Quality of Experience: Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting at the next lower grade level
• For all assignments above the full performance level - the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope - administrative independence - complexity (difficulty) - and range of varieties as described in this standard - at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements - candidates must possess the required specialized experience and be able to demonstrate all Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs) as summarized below
• Medical Support Assistant - GS-03
• (1) Experience or Education
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Medical Support Assistant - GS-04
• (1) Experience or Education
• (a) Experience
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
• OR (b) Education
• One year of education above high school
• (2) Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience or education above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients
• (b) Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics
• (c) Ability to meet - communicate - and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and other health care team members in a courteous and helpful manner in order to facilitate medical care for patients
• (d) Ability to use - and navigate between - various types of office automation equipment and software (i.e. - computer systems - web-based scheduling programs
• insurance collection system
• scanning software - multiple line phone systems
• electronic faxing programs) to support patient care
• Medical Support Assistant - GS-05
• (1) Experience or Education
• (a) Experience
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade
• OR (b) Education
• Two years of education above high school
• (2) Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience or education above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients
• (b) Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns - and refer to the appropriate staff - as necessary - to ensure a satisfactory resolution
• (c) Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter - modify - and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records - scheduling systems - and/or reports
• (d) Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting
• (e) Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work
• (f) Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person - electronically - and/or by telephone - with internal and external customers
• References: VA Qualification Standards - Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO)
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-5. You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position
• Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Duties

• VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Major duties include - but are not limited to: Ensure correct identification of all patients using two forms of identification
• Facilitate and support data integrity initiatives at the front line
• Assist patients - family members - and multidisciplinary staff - maintaining unit flow
• Provide prompt - friendly - and cooperative customer and patient services
• Answer and route phone calls courteously and timely
• Determine request nature and provide information per privacy rules and unit processes
• Retrieve records from outside providers - manage faxes - provider orders - and mail promptly
• Correctly input providers and treating specialties
• Handle interward transfers - admissions - and discharges
• Prepare admission packets prior to patient arrival
• Ensure discharge packets are completed and ready before discharge
• Enter work orders and follow up with the Nurse Manager or designee regarding delays
• Aid in Telehealth consults and other electronic health services
• Maintain and order necessary clerical supplies
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 7:30am - 4:00pm with alternating weekends and holidays
• Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized